You stick him out on the PP with some decent players and he'd get 51+ points.

I agree. Play him like 5 minutes a night at ES, and then the rest of the time on the top PP unit. He'd put points up. Maybe not a massive amount, but I could see him putting up around 50 in an 82 game season.

As a fourth liner that never saw time outside of a last ditch offensive effort/PP-time, he'd probably put up 30-45 points. Yes he's old, but the ability to see players and pass doesn't disappear with age.

As a fourth liner that never saw time outside of a last ditch offensive effort/PP-time, he'd probably put up 30-45 points. Yes he's old, but the ability to see players and pass doesn't disappear with age.

That's a new one on me. I know what you're saying, but the reason I don't think old people should be allowed to drive is diminished vision and reaction time. Both of which a) aren't conducive to sporting excellence, and b) don't just happen all of a sudden when you turn 75. He's not over the hill yet, but he also wasn't blessed with the body of Gordie Howe.

I don't think senial elders encroaching 80 years is a good premise for Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky's vision and hand-eye hasn't diminished to the point where it affects him on a fundamental level. He's 47 years old, cut the guy some slack.

I don't think senial elders encroaching 80 years is a good premise for Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky's vision and hand-eye hasn't diminished to the point where it affects him on a fundamental level. He's 47 years old, cut the guy some slack.

Obviously you didn't get the completely unveiled use of "nobody's getting any younger", and I already said that I don't think he is "over the hill". And of course he is still Gretzky at the fundamental level. It's the functional level that would prove to be a large obstacle.

So you're saying the fundamentals of Gretzky's ability to see and react are strong... If they're still intact I wouldn't worry about Gretzky's ability -- or 'functionality' -- to put up a bulk sum of points.

So you're saying the fundamentals of Gretzky's ability to see and react are strong... If they're still intact I wouldn't worry about Gretzky's ability -- or 'functionality' -- to put up a bulk sum of points.

No. But lol at the attempt. There is no way one's body and senses can be "as intact" in their 40s, or soon to be 50s, as they were in one's 20s. It would probably take him atleast 3 years of dedicated training to get back to a physical level he would be confident enough to jump on the ice at. By then he's 50, everyone around him is younger, faster, bigger, stronger, and sharper having played uninterrupted for years previous... Bet you he would still look decent skating around in practice though. Or against the Asian League.

No. But lol at the attempt. There is no way one's body and senses can be "as intact" in their 40s, or soon to be 50s, as they were in one's 20s. It would probably take him atleast 3 years of dedicated training to get back to a physical level he would be confident enough to jump on the ice at. By then he's 50, everyone around him is younger, faster, bigger, stronger, and sharper having played uninterrupted for years previous... Bet you he would still look decent skating around in practice though. Or against the Asian League.

your answer makes no sense, the thread is titled "if gretzky got back in shape..." so there would be no transition, he would already be in shape... the thread assumes he is back in shape again, so your whole "3 years to get back to a physical level" disregarded the whole thread premis...

your answer makes no sense, the thread is titled "if gretzky got back in shape..." so there would be no transition, he would already be in shape... the thread assumes he is back in shape again, so your whole "3 years to get back to a physical level" disregarded the whole thread premis...

Well, I mean, there's back in shape and there's fit and strong enough to play in the NHL again. My whole point is that the premise of the thread is flawed. The guys who play/have played at his age played largely uninterrupted, and we're able to maintain a certain level of strength/fitness (Chelios, etc... even Gordie only took 2 years off at age 43, 44, and Gretzky does not have the gift of a freakish body like Gordie). But sure, Gretzky at 48 after 10 years off...

...While we're at it then, what if he was 6 foot 4 instead of 5 foot 10, how many points would he get?

No. But lol at the attempt. There is no way one's body and senses can be "as intact" in their 40s, or soon to be 50s, as they were in one's 20s. It would probably take him atleast 3 years of dedicated training to get back to a physical level he would be confident enough to jump on the ice at. By then he's 50, everyone around him is younger, faster, bigger, stronger, and sharper having played uninterrupted for years previous... Bet you he would still look decent skating around in practice though. Or against the Asian League.

Every effort to interpret the jumble of sentences you call a post is an attempt. How can something be more intact than something else? Either it's intact or it's not. What's intact for Gretzky might not be as great as it once was, but no one in good mental health is saying that.

Quote:

...While we're at it then, what if he was 6 foot 4 instead of 5 foot 10, how many points would he get?

Did you run into walls as a kid? "On the condition that Gretzky got back in shape, how would he perform?" It's a viable premise. Gretzky could get back in shape, the human body is capable of such a thing. The human body isn't capable of growing 4 inches in your middle ages.

NHL is both faster and better now, he wouldn't even be the best player in the league if he got to come to 2008-2009 in his prime.'

Having said that, he could probably amass 25 points if he got to play on the pp. And if the same rule applied to everyone today as it was during his hey days (noone was allowed to hit him), he could get around 40 points.

NHL is both faster and better now, he wouldn't even be the best player in the league if he got to come to 2008-2009 in his prime.'

Having said that, he could probably amass 25 points if he got to play on the pp. And if the same rule applied to everyone today as it was during his hey days (noone was allowed to hit him), he could get around 40 points.

NHL is both faster and better now, he wouldn't even be the best player in the league if he got to come to 2008-2009 in his prime.'

Having said that, he could probably amass 25 points if he got to play on the pp. And if the same rule applied to everyone today as it was during his hey days (noone was allowed to hit him), he could get around 40 points.

This is true. Gretz would be a top player, but not the best. Top 5 I'd say, but can you imagine Malkin playing in his era with his skillset?

Every effort to interpret the jumble of sentences you call a post is an attempt. How can something be more intact than something else? Either it's intact or it's not. What's intact for Gretzky might not be as great as it once was, but no one in good mental health is saying that.

Did you run into walls as a kid? "On the condition that Gretzky got back in shape, how would he perform?" It's a viable premise. Gretzky could get back in shape, the human body is capable of such a thing. The human body isn't capable of growing 4 inches in your middle ages.

Gretzky is 6 foot btw.

Well, Gordie Howe (with his freakish strength, incredible ability to recover, and unsurpassed cardiovascular strength), after warming up for 6 years in the WHA, came back to the NHL and put up 0.5 PPG (after 8/9 years absence). Gretzky, even if he did "get into shape" (whatever you and others hold that standard to be), he would be lucky to produce at half that rate. And I am a huge Gretzky fan (who has supported him through all the top 3 of all time threads) saying this.

What you call "physically possible" I call so unlikely that it's a notion not worth being taken seriously.

Well, Gordie Howe (with his freakish strength, incredible ability to recover, and unsurpassed cardiovascular strength), after warming up for 6 years in the WHA, came back to the NHL and put up 0.5 PPG (after 8/9 years absence). Gretzky, even if he did "get into shape" (whatever you and others hold that standard to be), he would be lucky to produce at half that rate. And I am a huge Gretzky fan (who has supported him through all the top 3 of all time threads) saying this.

He's only like a year older then Chelios, and heaven knows Gretz has less miles on his body then Chris.

If Gretzky went on a specially designed training regime. Something that no one would have done in the days he played. I think he could do alright.

I think it would take atleast 6 months to put in place, but I think he COULD come back and be a 30-40 point PP specialist.

First of all he'd have to train at altitude. So much so that he only played games directly after training at altitude. He'd never play back to backs, he would barely travel.

But I believe if a team of the most knowledgable nutritionists and scientists on the planet had 6 months to get Wayne in shape and to use every available resource on this planet to get Wanye ready....then yah, I think he could come back and play 50 games a season at a prorated 30-40 points in a full year. Or he could play the full year and watch the PPG dip.